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Eva María Tomé, PHOTO EDITOR OF El Viajero

Back with talks on photography evolution, this time I got in touch with Eva María Tomé. Eva María has over 17 years of experience in three major areas of the photography industry – production, distribution and researching. She has the demanding task of sorting through awesome shots for El Pais’ weekly traveller magazine El Viajero. Eva María became interested in photography at the age of 5, when she started cutting out pictures she liked from magazines and newspapers. She went on to work for those newspapers and later moved to the editing table, where she spent 10 years as a photo editor. Two years ago Eva started working for El Viajero – a wildly popular travel mag.

Hi Eva María, thanks again for joining us. As first question I would like to ask you where you find and hook new photographers?

Nowadays with social media, I find many good pics or photographers by Instagram, and sometime I look at magazines or Facebook pages. Also big photo agencies send us works of new photographers.

What does make an image perfect for El Viajero?

The importance of good photography is a crucial part of my job, with light playing an important role “the work with the light is the most important thing, because it can make a great image or destroy all the work done.”

What do you think about “photography evolution”? In the specific case I am talking about DSLR equipment and smartphone..

Obviously, the speed and ability to capture images with a mobile tool explains that the use has multiplied. There are great photographs shot and edited on a mobile. Why not? I meet many photographers who use this tool to create a story board.

Photography is changing and it’s increasing and proposing new visual languages. How do EL PAÍS and El Viajero approach these changes?

Every day we live in a more global society and people have greater visual culture, so it is up to us, the media to get closer to what society demands, and not the other way back years.
The newspaper is in a continuous visual and communicative change, otherwise we would die.

We work on features and stories with our mobile photographers worldwide. If you should give an advice to new photographers who want to improve their skills and cover local stories, what would you suggest them?

I think the key is to make yourself known by all possible means, nowadays with social networks and photo agencies is easy, but differentiating from the rest is increasingly hard. It depends on the visual tendencies that one photographer stands out more than another, when both dominate the photograph. I believe that there is something that goes beyond the pure photographic techniques or covering events or news … and it is more about the passion that a photographer put in every picture taken.

“A must have” for photographers in terms of skills or attitude?

Passion and know-how to look your way, because yours is unique.

Thanks again Eva María!

Have missed the last interview with Andy Greenacre, photo editor of The Telegraph Magazine? Read it here.

Maura has been working in the photography field for years. She loves visual art and traveling. In Picwant, she is the head of marketing and time to time she writes articles for the blog. She is fanatic about Picwant and strongly believes in mobile photography.

Maura has been working in the photography field for years. She loves visual art and traveling. In Picwant, she is the head of marketing and time to time she writes articles for the blog. She is fanatic about Picwant and strongly believes in mobile photography.